


Spontaneous Acts

by XO (WaxPonds)



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, that's about it, they adopt a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 16:26:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9244043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaxPonds/pseuds/XO
Summary: Maybe Even's impulsiveness was a good thing.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you [farawaystardust](http://archiveofourown.org/users/farawaystardust/pseuds/farawaystardust) for correcting the typos and such in here <3

In hindsight, he should have thought about what he was going to do more. It was a well-known fact that the ideas which popped into his head on a sleepless night were never the best, nor were they anywhere near achievable, but he could make himself drop what had entered his head. Instead of staring up at his ceiling until the sun broke over the horizon, Even reached down off his bed, blindly looking for his laptop in the pitch black. It took him a couple of minutes of searching until he felt the cool metal surface of the computer on his skin. Hastily, he brought it up from the floor, putting it on top of his duvet and turning it on. The bright light from the computer screen illuminated his room, making him secretly happy that Isak had to visit his father and couldn’t be with him that night. He clicked on the internet tab, drumming his fingertips impatiently on his thigh as he waited for it to load up; leaning back leisurely against his pillows as the page slowly appeared on the monitor.

He typed quickly, scanning through the addresses which instantly showed on the page. Scrolling past a handful of them, he picked the fourth link at random. Even smiled, noticing that the post code was in his area, meaning that it was only a short journey on the tram to reach where he needed to go. The next thing he saw was the opening time: they closed at four in the afternoon on a Monday. He sighed to himself, irritated.

Rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand and blinking a couple of times, he tried to think about what he could do next. Although it was only the first term of school, he had already managed to miss far too many French lessons; he preferred to spend the last hour of school with Isak, hiding out behind the bike sheds until the last bell rang through the air. In the back of his mind, he knew he should make an effort to turn up to at least one of Mr. Eide’s classes – or at least give in one of the essays he had struggled over the night before. However, before he could stop himself, he had picked up the notepad and pen beside his bed, scribbling down that he needed to remember to call school to tell them some made up reason to why he couldn’t make it in that day. Now he had more important things to get done than suffer through three hours of his math teacher attempting to explain exactly where and why they’d need to use Pythagoras theorem in the future.

***

Lying to the receptionist down the phone had become one of Even’s many talents. In his previous school, they had caught onto his fake illnesses and doctors appointments fairly early on, making it next to impossible to get a day off in the middle of the week – still, this didn’t stop him trying his hardest at least once a fortnight, despite the fact the head teacher had called his parents into school a handful of occasions to question why Even was so eager to skip every class he had with the infamous Mrs. Berg. Whenever his dad asked him about the high number of school absences, Even only shrugged off his queries, refusing to say anything more than nonchalant comments.

He sat up on his bed, typing his school’s number into his phone. Clearing his throat, he put it to his ear, pushing some of his hair out of his face. It was pretty easy to bunk off school; they had yet caught onto Even’s less then convincing impression of his dad. Making his voice seem rougher than it was, he calmly spoke to the woman who answered the phone, telling her that Even wouldn’t be in school that day due to an unforeseen family emergency. The receptionist made a couple of sympathetic noises, wishing Even’s grandmother a fast recovery and hoping he had a safe trip to Bergen that morning.

It was probably an awful thing to pretend that his grandma’s health was deteriorating rapidly, but has he reached for the coat on the end of this bed and made his way towards the door, he couldn’t get himself to care. Besides, he was sure his grandmother would forgive him – if not find it hilarious – if she knew the reason.

***

Even stuffed his hands in his coat pockets, heading towards the nearest station. He had memorised the way to the shelter, checking it more than enough time to make sure he wouldn’t get lost on the way there. It was a simple journey; only four stops from his house and then a fifteen minute walk from there. He was glad there was no complicated change or need to sit on an overcrowded bus; he didn’t want to sit in a cramped area with cat carrier.

He bought his ticket from the kiosk, greeting the girl behind the desk with a cool smile. She made casual small talk with him as she typed in where he wanted to go, Even replied with the least effort possible without coming across as rude. He took the time the tickets were being printed to take out his phone and text Isak. He guessed that it was better to at least tell him that he would be absent that day instead of allowing Isak’s overactive mind to wander into dark situations where Even could have ended up in.

“ _I’m_ _not coming in today. Meet me at mine when school’s finished, I have a surprise for you x E_ ,” he wrote, making sure it was vague enough, giving no hints to what he was doing. He doubled checked the message before pressing send, a smile spreading across his lips when Isak replied instantly – also as if he had been waiting to hear from him –, voicing his concern about Even’s dwindling attendance but still promising to make his way over to Even’s apartment as soon as he could.

Once the tickets had finally finished printing, the person behind the computer handed them to him with a polite smile, pointing him to the right platform. Even thanked her as he collected the tickets, glancing down at the briefly to ensure that they were the right ones. When he was satisfied, he walked leisurely to the correct platform, looking up at the clock being displayed on the departure board. It was 9:20AM – the tram he needed left at half past, giving him ten or so minutes to scroll through Facebook and reply to the handful of messages he had received from Isak about Magnus’ latest explicit dream and delete the unread one from Sonja.

***

A long path lead down to the animal shelter – something Even hadn’t been expecting. He checked the map on his phone a couple of times, not believing that it had taken him to the right place. Despite his reservations, he started to go down the road, looking behind in as he went to see if there were any other possible routes. When he saw none, he picked up his pace, ducking his head to shield his eyes against the morning sun.

The unassuming road did eventually get him to where he wanted to be. He paused on the corner, looking at the small reception building, brushing his hair from his face. Even could just about make out a young boy pulling on his father’s arm, rapidly nodding towards someone or something which Even couldn’t see. Intrigued, he stayed where he was, watching the scene unfold metres in front of him. The boy had let go of the man’s jacket, opting to crouch down, his arms wide open for seemingly nothing. Confusion swept over Even, unsure what the boy was doing. That was until something small and black ran towards him, leaping into the child’s arms. Although Even was outside, he could clearly hear the joyful shriek let out by him as the puppy licked his face.

Even wasn’t known for becoming emotional at cute scenes, never mind cry. He reminded himself of that as he wiped a tear from his eye before it could roll down his cheek. He shook his head, getting his mind back on the task in hand: finding a fucking cat.

He crossed the road, pushing the glass door open. As he walked in, he momentarily glanced down at the child, who now had his face buried in the dog’s soft fur, giggling happily to himself as the puppy tried to nip playfully at his ear. Even smiled gently, making his way towards the desk near the back of the room, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

“Hi,” the receptionist said, looking up from the computer screen. “Are you here to adopt another member of the family?” Even laughed at the corny line, nodding once. “Lovely! I need to see some ID. You can only adopt from here if you’re eighteen or over, if not, you need to bring a parent or guardian with you next time,” she explained, sitting up in the chair and leaning forward.

“Of course,” he said, reaching in his pocket until he found his card. Handing it over to the woman over the desk, he scanned around the room, looking at the pet-related posters and advertisements dotted on the walls. One caught his attention: a large sheet of paper showing a dog comfortably sitting in something which looked like a small stroller. He narrowed his eyes at it, trying to work out why anyone would consider spending a thousand kroner on something so pointless for their pet.

The receptionist noticed where he was focusing on, chuckling when she also read it. “People do buy the weirdest things for their dogs,” she said. “Once a woman came in here looking for a full tuxedo set for her Pomeranian-husky mix. God, she was so angry when we told her we didn’t sell them here.”

Even laughed in disbelief, not wanting to imagine what kind of people they had to deal with on a daily basis. He was sure he couldn’t do it, knowing how short tempered he could be at times. As his thoughts wandered, he girl pushed his ID back cross the surface, making a small coughing sound to get his attention back in the room.

“If you’d just like to wait over there, someone will come and get you in a moment.” She nodded towards a couple of chairs pushed to the far side of the room, right next to the window. Even thanked her, putting his card back into his pocket and went to make himself comfortable on a plastic chair.

There wasn’t much to do in the makeshift waiting area. He gazed out of the window for a while, watching a couple walk down the path hand in hand and a bird fly high in the sky. Other than that, there wasn’t much else to entertain himself with. He unlocked his phone, checking for new messages. He furrowed his eyebrows together when he saw he had two missed calls from Isak and a voicemail. It was unusual for his boyfriend to call him during school hours, knowing how strict they were with the use of phones within classrooms and canteen. He considered calling Isak back, but decided against it when he noticed the time. Instead, he decided to listen to the voicemail left for him.

“Even, my prince – my saviour!” came Mahdi’s voice, drawn out and trying his best to impersonate Isak. He could easily hear stifled laughter, probably from one of the girls. “You are the Rose to my Jack; the air which I breathe; my God sent angel from above-“ However, before he could finish his the endless list of clichés, the phone was hastily taken from him and passed to someone else.

“Please come back.” This time it was Jonas. “Every second is impossible without you by my side. I miss you, babe. Without you I’m nothing. Sometimes I think about you when I’m alone in bed with my hands down my pants. Oh, _Even_!” Jonas moaned down the phone, trying to bite back bursting into hysterical fits of laughter as he went. “Fuck, baby, right there!” Before Jonas could continue, Isak voice could he heard in the distance, definitely sounding confused at why everyone around him was giggling uncontrollably.

“What are- Is that my phone?” Isak’s voice became louder the closer he came towards Jonas. Incoherent words were past between the two of them, making Even smile to himself as the two friends argued. “Hey,” Isak said down the phone, sounding a little embarrassed. “I’m not sure what they said to you – and I don’t want to know. Please don’t ever replay this message to me, and remind me to _never_ trust Eva with personal belongings again. I don’t know how she guessed the password, either – I thought it was good.”

“ILoveEven1999 is easy to guess,” Mahdi shouted from somewhere else in the room.

Isak sighed loudly; the sound of rustling came down the line when he rubbed his eyes. “That’s not my password,” he said in a low voice, probably in a vain attempt to stop everyone else listening into what he was saying. “I have to go but I’ll see you later.” Before hung up, Even could just make out a chorus of ‘bye Evens’ echoing from the other side of the room.

Even shook his head, covering his smile with his hand. He looked down at his phone, knowing that he was going to have to make Isak listen to what his friends had said, despite his wishes. It was too funny to not share it, and he knew Jonas would only bring it up the second he saw them both together.

Putting his phone back into his jacket pocket, he looked up at the clock situated on the wall in front of him. Surprisingly, he’d been sitting there for just under twenty minutes, waiting for someone to come and get him like the receptionist had said. He looked over in her direction, hoping to catch her attention. Instead of seeing the girl, he saw someone else standing awkwardly a metre or so beside him.

“Would you like to follow me?” the boy said. He was hardly older than Even was, perhaps a year younger. Wordlessly, Even nodded, standing up and brushing the creases out of his clothes. “So, what are you hoping to adopt today?” the boy asked, leading Even to the door which lead into the kennels.

“A cat,” he replied, simply. The boy nodded, leading him through the outside section and into a smaller outbuilding.

The first thing that Even noticed was the sound. Loud meows hit him like a wall, almost deafening him at first. The person showing him around was to his left. He looked indifferent about the volume of the cats, but Even presumed he was able to block it out by now.

“These are the ones we have in at the moment. They’ve all been spayed and neutered, had their checkups and are microchipped. I’ll let you look around for a bit. If you need anything, I’ll be just around the corner.” He gestured to somewhere outside and left Even to walk up to the cages.

There was a mother and her litter of kittens in the first cage, all huddled near the back in the basket and blanket provided. The kittens were so small and fragile looking, with many of them with their eyes still tightly closed. Knowing he couldn’t look after, nor fit in, seven cats in his reasonable small apartment, he moved on, no matter how adorable they all were.

Honestly, he had no idea what he was looking for. With no prior knowledge of caring for anything except himself – and Isak on some occasions – he stared at the animals blankly. He hoped they were all house trained, knowing that it was highly unlikely that they’d be able to let the cat outside unattended in the streets of Oslo. As well as that, he secretly wished they knew not to scratch the furniture; it had taken him far too long for him to convince his parents that he was old enough to move out. He didn’t want a cat to ruin everything he’d bought and bring his mother to worry about him more than she had to.

The next cat was a completely grey with the fluffiest tail he had ever seen on an animal. He crouched down next to the wire door, attempting to entice it over to him. When Even made a clicking noise, the cat’s ears perked up, turning to look in his direction. It was almost as if the cat was weighing up the pros and cons of moving from it’s spot on the tiled floor. Lazily, it got up from the floor, stretching as it walked towards Even. He poked his fingers through the mesh, wiggling them a little to get the cat’s attention. He watched as it approached, sniffing them before rubbing gently against his hand, purring contentedly.

“Hello,” Even said, trying his best to pet the cat. “Do you need a home?” Obviously, the cat didn’t reply, but it didn’t walk away from him. Even grinned. “Stay there,” he said, not feeling as stupid as he thought he’d feel speaking to a creature which didn’t understand him.

He got up from the floor, making his way to where the employee said he’d be. The boy was sat on the bench to the right of the door, picking at his nails as he waited. The door hinges creaked, bringing his attention back into the real world. “Found anyone you like?” he asked, standing up and walking towards where Even was.

“The grey one in the second cage,” he replied, taking a few steps back to allow him back inside. Even couldn’t ignore the look of utter shock on the boy’s face when he said which he wanted. “What?” he questioned, not seeing what was wrong with his answer.

“Nothing,” he said, a little too quickly for it to reassure Even. “It’s just that no one’s ever wanted him before.” As the boy spoke he went to pick up one of the cat carriers and a set on keys from the side. “He’s not the friendliest cat out there.”

Even titled his head to the side, confused. The cat had seemed nice enough when he saw it. Maybe they weren’t talking about the same one, so Even didn’t question it.

“I’ll get him in the box for you,” the employee said, swinging the key slightly as he walked around the back. Even took the spare time to walk around the rest of the cages, testing if the other ones would walk to the front like the grey cat had. With every new cage he tried, none of them seemed interested in the slightest.

“Cats,” he muttered to himself, rolling his eyes, as he went back to where he was standing before. He watched the boy attempt to get the cat into the box, struggling a little when the animal stuck its little arms out on each side, resisting its capture. Even gave the boy a weak smile when he looked up, shrugging his shoulders sympathetically. “I can try if you want,” Even suggested, noticing that he was getting nowhere.

“It’s alright, thank you,” was the response he got. Not wanting to push it, Even nodded and waited patiently.

It probably took ten minutes to get the cat locked away safely, regardless of the cat’s best attempts to free itself multiple times when neither of the boys were paying much attention.

The cat was put down beside Even’s feet, meowing unhappily. “Shhh,” Even said, hoping it would do something to quiet it down. Nothing happened. He started to dread the journey back, remembering the walk to the station and the ride back. He hadn’t factored a screaming cat into his impromptu plans.

“Okay,” the boy said, pushing black hair behind his ear. “Is there anything else you need?”

Even paused, wondering what he actually needed to care for a cat. “Um,” he said, buying himself more time to think. “Where can I buy bowls and stuff? I forgot to pick them up on my way.” It was a lie, he hadn’t gone over it that much to consider what he should have bought in advance, never mind what he needed to buy on the spot.

“We have bowls and stuff,” he said, smiling, copying Even’s choice of words. “If you make your way back to the main area, Isabella will help you pick out what you need.”

Even thanked him, taking the carrier in hand and stepping outside. He exhaled, enjoying the momentary silence. He was certain working in that room for longer than a couple of hours a day would permanently impact on anyone’s hearing – and will to live.

A small yowl came from the cage, causing Even to keep on walking. He presumed that being trapped inside a small box was nowhere near fun for the cat. “Okay- okay, I’m moving,” he said to the carrier, walking slowly to the reception building.

It was a lot busier than it was when he left. People were standing around the desk, flicking through the leaflets and flyers on the surfaces. Many of them looked bored, trying to control excited children or sitting down with babies on their laps. Even walked past a mother with her twin daughters, excusing himself as he nearly hit someone with the back of the cat carrier.

“Hey,” the girl – Isabella – greeted him, a warm smile on her lips. “Who did you pick?” The genuine interest caught Even by surprise, making him stutter for half a second.

“The grey one from the second cage.”

“Hm,” Isabella said, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. “Interesting choice.” Noticing Even’s worried expression, she flashed him another smile. “He is a great cat, don’t worry. I’m glad to see him finally go to his forever home. He’s been here way too long.”

Deciding not to comment on it, Even cleared his throat. “The person who took me around said I could buy, uh, supplies from here? I’m a little unprepared.” He laughed awkwardly, looking anywhere but at the girl in front of him. He knew she wasn’t going to judge him, or deny him from adopting the cat, however, the small amount of fear was still bubbling away in the bit of his stomach.

The girl brightened up, quickly jumping into a conversation about what he needed. As she talked, another employee came up to her, asking if she needed anything else done. Isabella gave the other woman a short list, telling her exactly where to get the items Even required. He didn’t get to see the list, but trusted the girl’s instincts; she seemed to know what she was on about.

“How much will this all cost?” he asked, putting the cage on the floor as the weight started to pull on his arm. The sudden decent made the cat let out a long meow, unimpressed with the bumpy landing. Ignoring him, Even looked at the girl.

Isabella took a calculator out from one of the compartments on the desk. She typed in the prices, pressing the equals key and showing it to Even. It wasn’t nearly as expensive as he had imagined. “And exactly what am I paying for?” As he spoke, he handed over the money, adding a little extra to go towards the charity.

“The basics: bowl, food, bed, a litter tray, a little scoop thing and some sand to go in it,” she said, clouting the number of items off from her fingers. “Obviously, they’re not the nicest, nor fanciest, but it’s a good set to start you off. There’s a little booklet on caring for your cat in there too, I can tell that this is definitely your first time doing anything like this. It should help you on your way, and if you need any help, you can drop in here at any time – completely free, of course.”

The door just behind the reception desk opened, allowing out the person Isabella had sent off to find what Even needed. They were all packed neatly into a plastic bag ready for him to take them. He thanked the person when they put them next to the carrier. He had no idea how he was going to carry all of it to the tram, but he didn’t have another option. Perhaps he could attempt to balance the bag between the cage and his chin for a while; he’d have to experiment when he left.

“Have you thought of a name for him?” Isabella asked, gesturing down to the carrier.

“No, not really,” Even replied, truthfully. “He’s not really mine; he’s more a gift for my boyfriend.”

“I’m sure he’s going to love the cat, no matter what you decide to call him,” she said, grinning. “Will you be okay taking all of this with you? I could get someone to help you carry them to your car.”

Even shook his head. “I got the tram here. I’ll be fine, though. Thank you.” He gave her his nicest smile, taking the plastic bag in one hand and the cat carrier in the other. The cat made an irritated noise at the sudden swaying motion, causing the girl to giggle slightly and Even to let out a long sigh.

It was going to be an eventful journey back home.

***

Even couldn’t recall the last time he had been so relieved to see his apartment block. His arms had been aching ever since he left the shelter, the weight from both the cat and the multitude of items to go with him pulling at every muscle in his upper body. The prospect of being able to put everything down again was the sole thing keeping him going as he climbed the flight of stairs to his home.

He reached his door as fast as he could, putting the carrier and bag down gently. He half expected the cat to make yet another disapproving sound, but was met with nothing. Horrified, he nudged the box with his foot, checking to see if the cat was still alive. He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain to the people back at the cat’s original home that he had perished on the trip. The sudden jolt to the cage must have angered the cat enough for him to let out a tired meow, instantly making Even’s pulse slow back down to a normal speed.

“Don’t be quiet like that again,” he said as he unlocked the door. “I thought you’d died in there.” He received another meow, almost in a more judgemental tone than the pervious one.

Even took the cat in first, putting the cage down in his room. He muttered a couple of words to him, explaining that he would be out of the cage in not time. He closed the door behind him, and went to collect the rest of the things he’d bought. As he unpacked them, he flicked through the booklet which was placed on top of everything. There was a short checklist on the front page, making sure that he had everything a cat could possibly need. It seemed that Isabella had gone to the trouble of crossing the items off the list, circling a couple and scribbling down the best brands which were affordable for an eighteen year old.

He set up the litter tray, pouring in a random amount of sand. The booklet suggested he put it in a private corner, saying that cats could be more modest than people first anticipated. Even chuckled at it, pushing the tray underneath one of the unused side tables, presuming that it was out of the way enough. Next, he moved onto the bowl. There was nothing in the book stating where it should go, so he went into the kitchen and put it down beside the empty space near the counters. He took a step back, checking to see if it was in the way. He tapped it with his foot, pushing it further back until he was satisfied with it.

He stood still for a moment longer, checking the clock on the wall. It was getting closer and closer to the time Isak would be leaving school. The excitement in his gut tripled, already seeing Isak’s perplexed, yet smiling face in his mind.

Knowing he couldn’t keep the cat in the box for much longer, he went back to his bedroom. As anticipated, the cat had taken it upon himself to be as noisy as possible, and to even start scratching on the part of the floor he could reach when he stuck his paw through the cage door.

“Calm down,” Even said, kneeling down on the floor to open the carrier. “I was only setting your things up since you can’t do it.” He pushed the door open for the cat, waiting for him to dart out instantly and hide under his chest of drawers for hours on end. However, it turned out that the cat he had brought home wasn’t like the ones given as examples in the leaflet. Even watched as the cat leisurely walked out of the cage, looking around as he went. “Strange,” Even commented, still observing the cat as he made his way towards the space under his bunk bed and curled up on some of the papers which he hadn’t gotten around to picking up yet.

He didn’t question why the cat was so relaxed in his new home already; he preferred that to a cat wetting itself whenever there was a loud noise or one which cowered under furniture when a stranger came into the room.

The doorbell chimed through the apartment. Even jumped up from the floor, checking behind himself to see if the cat was still happily sat on his schoolwork and not ripping it up. When he was content that the cat would stay as he was, Even left his bedroom, making sure to close to door properly.

“Coming!” Even called out, semi-jogging to the front door. Fiddling with the lock for a second longer than he wanted to, he managed to open the door, greeted with a happy-looking Isak. “Hey,” he said, nearly sounding breathless. “How was school?”

“Shit,” Isak replied, bluntly. He wrapped his arms around Even’s neck, pulling him into a tight hug and kissing him hard. “But my day just got better now that I’ve seen you.”

Even kissed him back, laughing. “You’re so sweet, it’s sickening,” he mocked, ruffling Isak’s hair. He took his boyfriend’s hand, dragging him into the main part of his home. He gestured for him to sit on the couch, silently telling him to wait there.

Isak did what he was told, a puzzled expression on his face as he slipped his shoes off and put his school bag on the floor. “Is this my big surprise?” he asked as Even went back into his bedroom, excitement clear on his voice.

“Yes,” Even shouted from the other room. He bent down, scooping the grey cat up into his arms. Although the cat wasn’t especially pleased with being disturbed from his newly found bed, he still allowed Even to carry him carefully. He stood just behind his bedroom door, nearly jumping with anticipation. “Are you ready?” he asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

Isak scoffed. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about today. If I fail biology, it’s your fault.”

“You’re already failing biology,” Even pointed out. “Sana told me. You need to work harder at it.”

“When did you turn into my mother?” Isak asked. “But we aren’t talking about my grades; we’re talking about the surprise. Hurry up!”

Even chuckled, pushing the door open and walking into the living room, the cat still in his arms and playing with the string from his sweatshirt. “Here,” Even said as calmly as he could.

“Here’s wha-?” Isak paused, his eyes widening when he saw what his boyfriend was holding. “Is that a cat?” he asked, slowly. “Why do you have a cat?” Isak got up from the couch, walking towards Even and the cat steadily. He put his hand out, waiting for something to happen – either good or bad, Isak wasn’t too sure what to expect when the idea popped into his head. The cat sniffed his hand, and then decided to loosely wrap his paws around two of Isak’s fingers, batting at them lightly. Isak laughed, petting the top of the cat’s head with his free hand. “What’s his name?”

“He’s yours. You should name him,” Even said, studying Isak’s face as the new information processed.

“You- you got me a _cat_?” Isak asked, taking a few step backwards. “You’re joking, you haven’t.”

Even only shrugged. “Do you like him?” he asked, putting the cat down on the floor. The two of them watched him stroll towards a chair, jumping up on it and quickly settling down on the cushions.

Isak rubbed his eyes, gaping at his boyfriend. He wasn’t sure what to say – or do. He couldn’t look after a cat. Noora and Eskild didn’t allow any type of pets in their apartment, saying that they were too messy. Even when Isak petitioned for them to get a communal goldfish, they still refused. If he wasn’t able to have anything as simple as a fish, there was no way in hell that he was going to get them to consent to a living, breathing cat.

“I love him, but he can’t stay with me,” Isak said, hopelessly. He looked at the cat that had started to fall asleep against the pillows, and then back to Even.

“Don’t worry about that, he can live with me,” Even said, resting his forehead against Isak’s. “You need to learn how to chill; I’ve worked it all out. He stays with me, but he’s still, technically, yours.”

Isak looked directly into his boyfriend’s eyes, gauging whether he was joking or not. A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Isn’t this the same agreement that kids have when their parents’ divorce?”

Even chuckled and shrugged again. “You need to name him. He can’t be nameless forever.” Just as he was about to move away, he quickly kissed Isak on the lips, waiting for him to think of what to call the cat.

Isak gazed at the cat, narrowing his eyes in concentration. It was endearing watching his boyfriend think so strongly about naming an animal which really didn’t understand what was going on, or have any idea that it was going to be stuck with the name forever. To Even, the cat could be named anything in the world – or nothing at all for that matter. The only thing which really meant anything to him was that Isak was happy with the new addition to their untraditional family, making his risk worth it.

As Isak kept on having an internal debate around what to name him, Even spoke, “Vilde is going to be so pissed that we got a cat before her. I don’t think she’ll leave my apartment if the news got out.”

“You may as well make her start paying rent; I don’t see her going back to her own home in a while,” Isak laughed, shaking his head as he thought of Vilde’s reaction to one of her friends finally owning a cat she could cuddle. “Anyway, I’ve decided on a name for him.”

“What is it?” Even asked, putting his hands on his boyfriend’s hips.

“Cardamom,” he replied, a smile growing on his face as he watched Even attempting to work out why he had chosen it. When it didn’t come instantly, Isak huffed to himself. “Don’t you remember? It was the time I was first here,” he prompted. “We smoked weed and then made those fucking awful bread-cheese-and-every-spice-in-Norway concoction. And cardamom is my favourite spice, too.”

The realisation made Even smile, he didn’t think Isak would have remembered such a mundane day. They had done plenty more things which were miles better than that, but it warmed Even’s heart to know his boyfriend managed to keep hold of every second of those few hours together. “You’re such a hopeless romantic,” Even said, pressing his lips to the tip of Isak’s nose.

“And you love it,” he replied, smiling happily. Even made a positive humming sound, moving his lips to kiss his boyfriend’s forehead lightly. “Come on,” Isak said, grabbing Even’s wrists. “Kissing can wait; we need to buy Cardamom the cutest collar in the whole of Oslo before we can tell Vilde about him!”

Even agreed. He allowed himself to be dragged out of his apartment, only just managing to reach for his keys before Isak pushed him out of the door, excitedly chattering nonstop about how jealous everyone would be once they knew about their perfect cat.

**Author's Note:**

> I had the idea for this fic at 4am, and I honeslty didn't think it would turn into much. However, I hope you enjoyed it! x


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